Hank Haney, right, has come in for criticism for revealing intimate details of his time coaching Tiger Woods. Photograph: Lenny Ignelzi/AP

Coaching one of the greatest golfers in history comes with a lot of scrutiny. Writing a book about coaching one of the greatest golfers in history comes with even more scrutiny.

Hank Haney, pilloried for much of the six years he spent working with Tiger Woods, has been ridiculed for peddling gossip and tittle-tattle in his forthcoming book about his relationship with the former world No1, The Big Miss and now he stands accused of breaking the "teacher-player code of confidentiality"..

Rick Smith, who has worked with Phil Mickelson among others, became the first of Haney's high-profile colleagues on the driving range to take a public stand against the book, which comes out in the US next week. Golf Digest has been publishing edited "highlights" over the last two weeks, most of which have focused on the personal minutia of Woods' life and opinions rather than, as had been billed, the broader picture of his golfing career.

For instance, Haney claims that Woods called Ian Poulter "a dick" for "mooching" a lift on his private jet; that he was obsessed with the US military and wanted to give up golf to become a Navy SEAL; that he watched porn while sharing a room at the Ryder Cup with Zach Johnson, knowing that Johnson, a born again Christian, would be offended. Haney also makes observations in the book about the relationship between Woods and his then, and now former, wife Elin Nordegren.

In an interview with ESPN.com, Smith was scathing about such disclosures, telling the website: "I would rather be broke and not have a penny to my name before I violate the code of player-teacher confidentiality. In 27 years out here, I've never done that. I'm personally upset with Hank because he's broken and violated our code of ethics. If you have the opportunity and you're privileged to conversations, you will not and should not share anything from them with anyone. I don't care who it is.

"For all the guys who have committed their lives to teaching, this should be very upsetting and I know that I'm not the only one that feels this way. Your relationship with these players is for a lifetime. All the guys that I have worked with are still my dearest friends," Smith said.

Woods has already made his displeasure at the book's appearance clear, having had a terse exchange with one journalist who had the temerity to ask him questions pertaining to its contents.

For his part, Haney has made no public comment, although that is about to change in the next week when he embarks on an extensive publicity and marketing campaign.

In the meantime, there is only the word of the few who have received advance copies of The Big Miss and their suggestions that the already published extracts, while titillating to those who like titillation, misrepresent what is a serious and seriously well-written account of the time Haney spent with Woods.

"Among the book's many revelations is Haney's sense that Woods' greatest weakness as a golfer is his fear of mis-hitting the driver – thus the title of the book.

"I can now admit," says Haney, "I never felt totally comfortable when Tiger was standing over a drive in competition."

Even more revealing than the swing material is evidence of Woods' emotional blank wall: his indifference to people around him, his inability to empathise, and an obsession with military training and the Navy SEALs that, according to Haney, probably led to the leg injuries which have hampered Woods' golf career.

How much of this is Haney's insight and how much of this is due to his writing collaborator, Jaime Diaz, can be only a matter of speculation. The result makes for an alarming look at an athlete whose public glories masked an apparent day-to-day existence of profound superficiality.